Self-contained electrical control unit



April 6, 1954 B. D. MASERITZ ,7

SELF-CONTAINED ELECTRICAL CONTROL UNIT Filed March 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Tu l.

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. mmvroza: Z 2 Mn 4 r2 April 6, 1954 B. D. MASERITZ 2,674,701

SELF-CONTAINED ELECTRICAL CONTROL UNIT Filed March 28, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EFF IN VEN TOR. 3. 3 A24 we 1 r2 BY A T7'0ENEY.

Patented Apr. 6, 1954 SELF CONTAINED ELEGTRICALl CONTROL UNIT Bernard- D... Maseritz; ,Blmfield,. N.. J;,,, assignon of Qncehalf. to Michael Tr-Mnrang Bloomfield}.

Application-March 28, 1952; Serial N0. 27 9,001"

SrQlflilllS (CL 3037-155 This=invention=relates tOs improvements in con-.-

trcl deviceselectrical apparatus; suclr. as controliunits ior air: conditioning de-vicesand: the

any desired on.convenientameanasuch.asa manually-operated switch, anelectrical or motordriven.

switch solenoid; or other: electrical deviceior time mechanism.

The control unit of myimventionis. provided with aconventionalncordto; beuinsertedinto the usual receptacleiori other: source: ofrelectric cur rent. The controlcunit insturnris. provided1.with; wreceptacle into .whichmay. beaplugged; the device; to b'e controlled, with control established remotely by connecting an electric. switch thermostat, clock, timer; onother 'control mechanism, with the-circuitncontained. in the controliunit. In, the portable-control unit of the inventionKFig; 2);

there are.- incorporated. .an, electric; re1ay,: solenoid,: or magnetic.switch sthat c.opens.= or closes .the mainor. secondary circuit to the device to. be. operated, and; an electric; transformer topro duce: aJOWLSafELVOItagE folt operatin :thecQntroL'irOm: a remote point by a sWitch...th91-m0&tat. time;

clock, or the like, the entire portable unit being enclosed in the casing.=- Asapplicd to apontable air conditioning unit brother deviceqto be controlled my invention provides a method of remotely controlling the operation of the devicewlthout mechanicallywiring-the control to the device to be -controlled-,-thereby saving labor and cost of installation of the controlled device. With the control unit of this invention, it is merely necessary to plug the air conditioner or other device into the portable control and then plug the portable control into the normal electrical power source, then plug the thermostat switch or other electrical control equipment into the portable control unit. By remote control is meant any distance away from the normal control provided on the air conditioner or other device to be controlled. The portable control unit of this invention entirely eliminates outside electrical wiring such as was heretofore required for control methods, and provides safe, and simple and effective control of the device.

Th invention provides a means of remotely controlling the device from any point by a manually operated switch or electrically operated mechanism which may be made sensitive to any desired predetermined'rcondition, suchas the passagev otztim'e vor change .imtemperature; Itzwill be understood: that'thetimer; thermostator; nth-em device:.for registering.- thev critical condition: may: be' pre-set to become operatii'le. for cut-om: and: cutein: .timespredetezmined .by thetuser;v

The invention further. provideszrameanszoi rev motelywcontrolling. more'tharr onei-uniti; (Fig-"39H from aeportableimastericontrol unitxarrangedstor turn 0n" the devices. tor be; controlled;: in :timedrsequence so as notto;overloadzxthe;electricat;cit,

cults: by: having all .units start :attheasame: time; responsiveto one control...

The invention above describednmay bewusedifoli' A portable operation or'maybe built vinternallyiof.v

the air conditioner or other devim-i;:tosrbey oom. trolled.

The invention": makes it unnecessary; torusm separate. timer or: thermostat. control units, for: eachv air conditioner orxot-her device controlledi'i The. device may be .attach'edto' anair conditioner: or other equipment to be controlled without: changing or entering intosthewinternalz electrical;- wiring of such equipment;

Asshown inthe drawings Fig.1 isra wiring vdiagramaof-sa circuitiandrasr sociatedmechanis'ms;ima...control unit for amingle.

device :to becontrolled,

Fig: 2ris :-a. schematicxpartly fragmentary.;-'per+ spective view of one formiofascontrol.unitsofithis invention, showing, fragmentarily, a; device to; be controlled by the unit; Of thiSEISlIIVBIItiOII, con?- nected thereto, and

Fig; 3 is a wiringc'diagram: illustrating, the appIiOatlOl'lCOf the invention: i more than; one -elece-:- tric'al: device'zto' .becontrolledz The :deviceofi this invention=,:as showniin Eigu2:,-; comprises a self-contained casing H] of any suitable proportions and outline but preferably having an electric cord II internally connected to the control circuit in the casing, said cord unit extending from the casing and terminating in the usual plug l2 to be connected to the usual outlet l3. The casing in is further provided with a receptacle l4 (preferably at the top of the casing where it may conveniently be used) into which may be inserted the plug end [5 of the electric cord [6 of the air conditioner or other device I! to be controlled. The circuit between the cords II and I6 internally of the casing Ill may have cut thereinto a receptacle l8 into which the thermostat l9, timer 2!], remote control switch 2! or the like may be connected by means of their respective plug ends I9, 20', 2|, respectively. Receptacle [8, as will be apparent to those skilled in this art, may be of any suitable type to receive one or more of such plugs, or separate plugs as indicated at 18, 33, 34, may be provided. If desired, one or more of the control devices, for example, I9, 20, may be combined with a single cord and plug. The control circuit 22 connects the electric cord I l internally of the casing In, as shown in Fig. 1, through the receptacle M with the primary 23 of a transformer which, with other parts mentioned, is located internally of the casing. The circuit between the secondary 24 of the transformer and a relay 25 is completed through contacts 26, 28 in a receptacle [8 by the electric timer, thermostat, etc., plugged into said receptacle, the secondary current for the timer or motor or other device being taken at contacts 26, 21, in the secondary circuit 30. When the circuit to relay 25 is completed, the latter m actuated to close contacts 3|, 32 to complete the circuit between receptacle M to and the electric cord H to the air conditioner or other device.

Fig. 3 illustrates the circuit of a single self-.

contained casing in used to control two or more air conditioning or other devices in timed sequence responsive to single or master control devices, if desired. The secondary control unit circuit for the form of Fig. 3 is generally designated at 40. Closing of contacts 4|, 42 of relay 25 in the Fig. 3 circuit, however, also energizes a thermal or other time-delay relay or element 43, causing the element to heat, and, after a period 01 time, closing the contacts 44 and 45, energizing the relay 25a of unit 50. Relay 25a of unit 59 might thus be utilized to control the second air conditioning or other device to the connectors 51, and connecting the wires 52, closing contacts 53, 54, for supplying power to the receptacle Me to the air conditioner or other device plugged into said receptacle, repeating the operation of closing the circuit to the thermal time delay relay or elements 43a, closing the contacts 44a, 45a, to the next control unit (indicated at 55) through the cord I la, and connectors 56, the arrangement being repeated for all additional units. There are thus provided time intervals for the actuation of each unit thus controlled in timed and spaced sequence to the actuation of the previous unit, while all of said units may thus be made responsive to a single thermostat or control device or switch or other mechanism.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 2 1. A self-contained electrical control unit for supply therefor, said control unit comprising a casing, having a transformer therein, and a circuit in said casing connected between the transformer and a receptacle in the casing for the electrically actuated device plug, a relay and a time delay relay element in said circuit, the closing of the relay energizing the time relay element to cause the latter to be heated and thereby close to energizea second relay wired to a circuit for the second device to supply power to a receptacle on said control unit to which the second device may be connected, whereby the said circuit for the second device may repeat the operation of closing a circuit to a time delay element closing *contacts to a third control circuit to repeat the control operation.

2. A self-contained electrical control unit for controlling the circuit between a plurality of electrically actuated devices, and a source of current supply therefor, said control unit comprising a casing, having a transformer therein, and a circuit in said casing connected between the transformer and a receptacle in the casing for the air conditioner device plug, a first relay and a time delay relay element in said circuit, the closing of the first relay energizing the time delay relay element to cause the latter to close after a time interval to energize a relay wire to a circuit for the second device to supply power to a receptacle on said control unit to which the second device may be connected, whereby the said circuit for the second device may repeat the operation of closing a circuit to a time delay element closing contacts to a third control circuit to repeat the.

,control circuit operation.

3. A self-contained electrical control unit for controlling the circuit between a. plurality of electrically actuated devices, and a source of current supplied therefor, said control unit comprising a casing having a transformer therein, and a. circuit ,in said casing connected between the secondary "or the transformer and a receptacle in the casing for the electrically actuated device plug. a first relay in said circuit and a time delay relay ele-.

ment energized on the closing of the first relay to' cause the time delay relay element to be actuated to thereby close a circuit for the second electrically actuated device to supply power to a receptacle on said control unit to which the said second device may be connected.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,480,827 Armstrong Sept. 6, 1949. 2,484,092

Hopgood Oct. 11, 1949 

